Any good meds to stop anxiety?

CHPN1680 · Mar 10, 2005

My 83 year old mother has mild Alzheimer's and has been on alprazolam which is not covered by her drug discount card. The alprazolam doesn't seem to help much anymore. I would like to try buspar but buspar is recommended for short-term anxiety and my mom has long term anxiety problems. Please tell me which drugs you think work best for long term anxiety in the elderly. Thanks so much :)

That is a tough one especially as people get older. You want to calm their anxiety but want to minimize side effects that may put them at risk for falls or that will make them overly somnolent.

Lorazepam (Ativan) is commonly used and is probably on the formulary. Best to start at low dose like 0.25mg and move up if you have to. Her M.D. should really be involved in this discussion. Hopefully, he knows enough about her and her history to recommend an alternative that is on the formulary. Good Luck!

explorer · Mar 10, 2005

Clonazapam is another possibility.

elcaminoman42 · Mar 10, 2005

Instead of anti-anxiety, has she taken Namanda, a new alzheimer drug?

FutureNrse · Mar 10, 2005

My 83 year old mother has mild Alzheimer's and has been on alprazolam which is not covered by her drug discount card. The alprazolam doesn't seem to help much anymore. I would like to try buspar but buspar is recommended for short-term anxiety and my mom has long term anxiety problems. Please tell me which drugs you think work best for long term anxiety in the elderly. Thanks so much :)

Years and years ago, I worked for In Home Supportive Services, and had a client who was 98 years old, but quite healthy, except for her "bad nerves". She tried several anti-anxiety meds, and very small doses of Xanax worked best for her. She usually took about a quarter of the pill, twice a day. I remember this because I used to have to cut them all up for her. Also, I recall her telling me that Valium just kept her knocked out, even tiny doses. The thing that kept her from having to take her meds often, was lots of companionship. Makes sense too, the elderly can feel alone and scared, the more companionship they have, the less anxious they feel. Even the animal variety is helpful. The little old lady I helped out had a parakeet, and from the day she got him she was less anxious because she had someone to talk to and play with.

I eventually inherited that bird and he could imitate her voice...spooky

happy&healthy · Mar 10, 2005

My 83 year old mother has mild Alzheimer's and has been on alprazolam which is not covered by her drug discount card. The alprazolam doesn't seem to help much anymore. I would like to try buspar but buspar is recommended for short-term anxiety and my mom has long term anxiety problems. Please tell me which drugs you think work best for long term anxiety in the elderly. Thanks so much :)

Hi Cat,

You mentioned: "my mom has 'long term' anxiety problems, and the alprazolam doesn't seem to help much anymore." - Is this

another way

of saying: "for a while such means managed numbing her current emotional state, but her anxiety continues brewing" ?, or said drugs are incapable of *enriching* her future days as she might like ? -

In my experience of helping ladies with similar associated conditions, like the two you mentioned here, their inner anxious-strategies 'predated by years' outward Alzheimer-like behaviors. And I found the biggest contribution in their lives, was having their anxieties addressed, and actively encouraging them to continue empowering their own life... with choices happily meaningful to them. In this fashion,

causally they in effect were able to reframe their life's quality.

oh, and you also mentioned your dear mother being 83. *How young does she choose to feel* ? - I ask that, because some of my work included women in their late 90's; and 2 above 100, with 1 being 103 years young. She continued having the time of her life, as a Flower-judge. Empowering these women, proved another hi-light in my career :nurse:

And I am wondering how others might also ...

happy&healthy · Mar 10, 2005

Years and years ago, I worked for In Home Supportive Services, and had a client who was 98 years old, but quite healthy... The thing that kept her from having to take her meds often, was lots of companionship. Makes sense too, the elderly can feel alone and scared, the more companionship they have, the less anxious they feel. Even the animal variety is helpful. The little old lady I helped out had a parakeet, and from the day she got him she was less anxious because she had someone to talk to and play with.
I eventually inherited that bird and he could imitate her voice...spooky

hey Futurenurse, you are spot-on, with "lots of companionship" - and another factor that I found,

really making Good sense when you choose to remember that,' is *choose :balloons: to continue enjoying learning Fun new skills*.

To hell with "growing old".

I am even friends with several dozen people aged 50 and over, who at our Iceskating rink, continue enjoying skating there. And 2 of these women didn't lace-up their first skates until after their 60th Birthdays. What if you just keep telling your body: "hey, keep growing them bones more resiliently stronger every day, 'cause I am havin' the time :) of my life...." Yeah, for fun !

dbsn00 · Mar 10, 2005

That is a tough one especially as people get older. You want to calm their anxiety but want to minimize side effects that may put them at risk for falls or that will make them overly somnolent.
Lorazepam (Ativan) is commonly used and is probably on the formulary. Best to start at low dose like 0.25mg and move up if you have to. Her M.D. should really be involved in this discussion. Hopefully, he knows enough about her and her history to recommend an alternative that is on the formulary. Good Luck!

:yeahthat: Also seen good results with Ativan...Good luck

Blackcat99 · Mar 11, 2005

Thanks all for your great suggestions! Ativan,clonazepam,namanda,zanax. I think aprazolam and zanax are the same

med? Mom is taking exelon for alzheimers. What kind of results have you been seeing with namanda the new alzheimers drug? Mom goes to adult day care twice a week. I've tried to get her to go 3 times a week but she refuses to go more than twice. I've encouraged Mom to be a more "positive thinker" but no luck. She was physically abused by her father and she talks about that a lot. I would love to take my Mom out more often but she prefers to stay home. I will take this med list to her doctor next week. Thanks :)

happy&healthy · Mar 11, 2005

Thanks all for your great suggestions! Ativan,clonazepam,namanda,zanax. I think aprazolam and zanax are the same
med? Mom is taking exelon for alzheimers. What kind of results have you been seeing with namanda the new alzheimers drug? Mom goes to adult day care twice a week. I've tried to get her to go 3 times a week but she refuses to go more than twice. I've encouraged Mom to be a more "positive thinker" but no luck. She was physically abused by her father and she talks about that a lot. I would love to take my Mom out more often but she prefers to stay home. I will take this med list to her doctor next week. Thanks :)

Hi again -

Evidently, your mother's anxiety serves as a "cry for help":

Rather than enjoying living in the Present, while planning the future, as serves us best ---

instead,

she's "stuck" in negative emotions (as a contributing factor in her aging). So, how much better would life be for your mother, were someone skilled to *guide her Healing* the owie that controlled her self, for decades. Then, that ole' nasty wound healed,

Your dear mother can live free, and enjoy eating out with you, and any other pleasurable activities of her choosing... agreed ?

dbsn00 · Mar 11, 2005

Thanks all for your great suggestions! Ativan,clonazepam,namanda,zanax. I think aprazolam and zanax are the same
med? Mom is taking exelon for alzheimers. What kind of results have you been seeing with namanda the new alzheimers drug? Mom goes to adult day care twice a week. I've tried to get her to go 3 times a week but she refuses to go more than twice. I've encouraged Mom to be a more "positive thinker" but no luck. She was physically abused by her father and she talks about that a lot. I would love to take my Mom out more often but she prefers to stay home. I will take this med list to her doctor next week. Thanks :)

I do believe that Namenda is recommended for the first stages of Alzheimer's - it's supposed to slow down the process. (and yes, alprazolam & Xanax are the same)

Antikigirl, ASN, RN · Mar 11, 2005

Nemanda...haven't seen any changes in any of my patients on it sadly...and they wind up getting ativan prn, then routine eventually (got to watch that, elderly just don't metabolize meds as well and when I see routine doses...I get a bit worried that the med isn't clearing before we dose them up again...that becomes a very bad cycle!).

We try to use as many non-pharm as possible, like keeping their schedules very routine and having the same staff. This provides for feelings of security and really seems to help. They have activities BID that include various fun things to do like bochi ball, visiting readers that will read the paper or a book of the week, painting and other large motor skill arts (fine ones are a bit hard for some). We use to do BINGO, but when someone would win they would yell out..and well...ummmmm then all heck broke loose, so BINGO was out...

We are fortunate to have two activities directors that has Alzh/dementia background and study, so one is there daily and spend quite a bit of time in our progressive care unit! :) They are truly a blessing :)